Like a lighthouse marking the first neighborhood to be completed in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn district, the Tip of Nordø stands out. The overall vision for the Tip of Nordø is to create an office building that signals openness, robustness, and dynamism while also aiming to be an entirely new meeting place for all residents of Copenhagen. A destination where urban life can unfold throughout the year.
Characterized by an iconic round shape, the building enters into a symbiotic relationship with the elements, as prefabricated facade modules angle to filter daylight, the atrium works as a giant greenhouse, and water is filtered and circulated locally. The functional design is based on an annual, hour-by-hour weather simulation to strategically position the faceted elements in a way that reduces the direct influx of sunlight.
Connected via two bridges, The Tip of Nordø marks a new urban area in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn, where the sky and sea meet the city. Previously this small island was a part of Copenhagen’s Freeport under the name of Redmolen and served industrial purposes for decades. However, with its new name – Nordø – comes new purposes.
At the tip is a spectacular circular office building – a landmark for the Port of Copenhagen that references the surrounding transformed silos and industrial heritage. The building’s simple form of the circle is equal to everyone, whether indoors or outdoors. This unambiguous, archetypal form – the rotunda – appears as a clear and recognizable landmark in the harbor area.
The main idea is that the division between the rotunda and the wharf enables a third space: The space in between where the public space of the city and the private space of the building fuse into a combined setting. Where the entire harbor space and the city skyline can be experienced in a 360-degree view, breaking up the more intimate space of the harbor promenade.
The ground floor of the building is accessible to all and will become an attraction for the city. In this way, the Tip of Nordø generously underlines the client’s basic desire that the house should appear friendly, transparent, and responsive and be seen as a landmark on Copenhagen’s waterfront.
The distinct facade is simple and well-proportioned, with textural and tactile surfaces with warm and welcoming expressions. Its large scale is set to match the scale of the harbor space. It is clad in glass that reflects the water, which contributes to excellent daylight conditions and great views and lowers the level of energy consumption needed for cooling.
Diffuse skylight has low energy levels and offers optimal natural light conditions, whereas direct sunlight comes with a risk of glare and overheating. Thus, the six individually angled facade elements vary in size and glazing ratios based on hour-by-hour weather simulations.
‘Square buildings relate to each other. When you design a circular building it seizes to relate to other types of geometry. It becomes unique. And unique forms should be used with caution as they automatically generate a strong identity.’
Thomas Scheel, partner at Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects
Interior Design of The Tip of Nordø
Inside is a circular verdant public garden with tall trees – an interior green space where a generous diameter ensures plenty of natural daylight.
In contrast to the exterior, the glass reflections from the interior facade are a concept for the building’s plane geometry. Here, the floors have been tripartitioned, with the three cores as the points of division. The tripartition of the individual office floor manifests as the establishment of two working areas and one area for shared functions.
‘It is designed to be visible from all sides without a front or back. Buildings in this context should not have backsides. It causes an imbalance.’
Thomas Scheel, former partner at Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects
Project Details
Collaborators: Cobe, Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Client: PFA Ejendomme
Program: Office
Size: 25,000 m²
Year: First prize in competition 2015, completed 2023
Photographer: Christian Theile, Rasmus Hjortshøj – COAST, Martin Heiberg
The project description is provided by Cobe and Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects.
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